What can be said about the Carousel 1 WW I models that anyone who owns one doesn't already know. They are absolute gems. Highly detailed, with wire rigging, control lines, all metal. Turn the prop on the Dr.1's and the rotary engine turns as well. Released in 2007 retailing for $69.95 very few of these showed up in the discount sales as the economy crashed in 2008 and die cast producers started folding their tents. They were truly unique in the die cast world.

Lt. Werner Voss was a World War I German flying ace credited with 48 aerial victories. He began his military career in November 1914 as a 17‑year‑old Hussar, transferring to aviation he proved to be a natural pilot. After flight school and six months in a bomber unit, he joined a newly formed fighter squadron, Jagdstaffel 2 on 21 November 1916. He was summoned to Schwerin, and on 5 July 1917 was one of the first pilots to test fly Fokker F.I s/n 103/17, what would be the DR.1 in production. Although the Fokker had some drawbacks, such as its low speed and slowness in a dive, Voss loved the new craft.

It was easy to fly with light controls, could out-maneuvere any previous aircraft, mounted twin machine guns, and had a rapid rate of climb. The same climbing ability that put it at 1,000 meters (3,000 feet) within three minutes of takeoff lent itself to the combat tactic of zooming upwards out of combat to gain the height advantage on opponents. Voss enthusiastically recommended the Fokker's adoption while never progressing to testing the Pfalz Dr.I. He left Schwerin with an assignment for command of a jasta. He was 20 when he was killed in one of the most celebrated combats of the 1st world war.

The Fokker Dr.I (Dreidecker, "triplane" in German) was a World War I fighter aircraft built by Fokker-Flugzeugwerke. The Dr.I saw widespread service in the spring of 1918. It became famous as the aircraft in which Manfred von Richthofen gained his last 19 victories, and in which he was killed on 21 April 1918. Voss too would die in this aircraft.

In February 1917, the Sopwith Triplane began to appear over the Western Front. The Germans facing it found it to be a formidable adversary and soon the Triplane craze began with all combatants. Only two swerved in any numbers. Despite its single Vickers machine gun armament, the Sopwith swiftly proved itself superior to the more heavily armed Albatros fighters then in use by the Luftstreitkräfte. In April 1917, Anthony Fokker viewed a captured Sopwith Triplane while visiting Jasta 11. Upon his return to the Schwerin factory, Fokker instructed Reinhold Platz to build a triplane, but gave him no further information about the Sopwith design. Platz responded with the V.4, a small, rotary-powered triplane with a steel tube fuselage and thick cantilever wings, first developed during Fokker's government-mandated collaboration with Hugo Junkers. Initial tests revealed that the V.4 had unacceptably high control forces resulting from the use of unbalanced ailerons and elevators.

Instead of submitting the V.4 for a type test, Fokker produced a revised prototype designated V.5. The most notable changes were the introduction of horn-balanced ailerons and elevators, as well as longer-span wings. The V.5 also featured interplane struts, which were not necessary from a structural standpoint, but which minimized wing flexing. On 14 July 1917, Idflieg issued an order for 20 pre-production aircraft. The V.5 prototype, serial 101/17, was tested to destruction at Adlershof on 11 August 1917. The first two pre-production triplanes were designated F.I, in accord with Idflieg's early class prefix for triplanes. The two aircraft were sent to Jastas 10 and 11 for combat evaluation, arriving at Markebeeke, Belgium on 28 August 1917.

Richthofen first flew 102/17 on 1 September 1917 and shot down two enemy aircraft in the next two days. He reported to the Kogenluft (Kommandierender General der Luftstreitkräfte) that the F.I was superior to the Sopwith Triplane. Richthofen recommended that fighter squadrons be reequipped with the new aircraft as soon as possible. The combat evaluation came to an abrupt conclusion when Oberleutnant Kurt Wolff, Staffelführer of Jasta 11, was shot down in 102/17 on 15 September, and Lt Werner Voss, Staffelführer of Jasta 10, was killed in 103/17 on 23 September.

The remaining pre-production aircraft, designated Dr.I, were delivered to Jasta 11. Idflieg issued a production order for 100 triplanes in September, followed by an order for 200 in November. Apart from the straight leading edge of the tailplane, these aircraft were almost identical to the F.I. The primary distinguishing feature was the addition of wingtip skids, which proved necessary because the aircraft was tricky to land and prone to ground looping. In October, Fokker began delivering the Dr.I to squadrons within Richthofen's Jagdgeschwader I.

Compared to the Albatros and Pfalz fighters, the Dr.I offered exceptional maneuverability. Though the ailerons were not very effective, the rudder and elevator controls were light and powerful. Rapid turns, especially to the right, were facilitated by the triplane's marked directional instability. Vizefeldwebel Franz Hemer of Jasta 6 said, "The triplane was my favorite fighting machine because it had such wonderful flying qualities. I could let myself stunt – looping and rolling – and could avoid an enemy by diving with perfect safety. The triplane had to be given up because although it was very maneuverable, it was no longer fast enough."

The Dr.I was considerably slower than contemporary Allied fighters in level flight and in a dive. While initial rate of climb was excellent, performance fell off dramatically at higher altitudes because of the low compression of the Oberursel Ur.II, a clone of the Le Rhône 9J rotary engine. As the war continued, chronic shortages of castor oil made rotary operation increasingly difficult. The poor quality of German ersatz lubricant resulted in many engine failures, particularly during the summer of 1918.

The Dr.I suffered other deficiencies. The pilot's view was poor during takeoff and landing. The cockpit was cramped and furnished with materials of inferior quality. Furthermore, the proximity of the gun butts to the cockpit, combined with inadequate crash padding, left the pilot vulnerable to serious head injury in the event of a crash landing.Wing failures

Heinrich Gontermann's crashed Dr.I, serial 115/17

On 29 October 1917, Lt der Reserve Heinrich Gontermann, Staffelführer of Jasta 15, was performing aerobatics when his triplane broke up. Gontermann was fatally injured in the ensuing crash landing. Lt der Reserve Günther Pastor of Jasta 11 was killed two days later when his triplane broke up in level flight. Inspection of the wrecked aircraft showed that the wings had been poorly constructed. Examination of other high-time triplanes confirmed these findings. On 2 November, Idflieg grounded all remaining triplanes pending an inquiry.

Idflieg convened a Sturzkommission (crash commission) which concluded that poor construction and lack of waterproofing had allowed moisture to damage the wing structure. This caused the wing ribs to disintegrate and the ailerons to break away in flight. In response to the crash investigation, Fokker improved quality control on the production line, particularly varnishing of the wing spars and ribs, to combat moisture. Fokker also strengthened the rib structures and the attachment of the auxiliary spars to the ribs. Existing triplanes were repaired and modified at Fokker's expense. After testing a modified wing at Adlershof, Idflieg authorized the triplane's return to service on 28 November 1917. Production resumed in early December. By January 1918, Jastas 6 and 11 were fully equipped with the triplane. Only 14 squadrons used the Dr.I as their primary equipment. Most of these units were part of Jagdgeschwadern I, II, or III. Frontline inventory peaked in late April 1918, with 171 aircraft in service on the Western Front.

Despite corrective measures, the Dr.I continued to suffer from wing failures. On 3 February 1918, Lt Hans Joachim Wolff of Jasta 11 successfully landed after suffering a failure of the upper wing leading edge and ribs. On 18 March 1918, Lothar von Richthofen, Staffelführer of Jasta 11, suffered a failure of the upper wing leading edge during combat with Sopwith Camels of No. 73 Squadron and Bristol F.2Bs of No. 62 Squadron. Richthofen was seriously injured in the ensuing crash landing. Postwar research revealed that poor workmanship was not the only cause of the triplane's structural failures. In 1929, National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA) investigations found that the upper wing carried a higher lift coefficient than the lower wing – at high speeds it could be 2.55 times as much.

The triplane's chronic structural problems destroyed any prospect of large-scale orders. Production eventually ended in May 1918, by which time only 320 had been manufactured. The Dr.I was withdrawn from frontline service as the Fokker D.VII entered widespread service in June and July. Jasta 19 was the last squadron to be fully equipped with the Dr.I. Surviving triplanes were distributed to training and home defense units. Several training aircraft were reengined with the 75 kW (100 hp) Goebel Goe.II. At the time of the Armistice, many remaining triplanes were assigned to fighter training schools at Nivelles, Belgium, and Valenciennes, France. Allied pilots tested several of these triplanes and found their handling qualities to be impressive.

Werner Voss (German: Werner Voß) (13 April 1897 – 23 September 1917) was a World War I German flying ace credited with 48 aerial victories.

Voss, a dyer's son from Krefeld, was a patriotic young man even while still in school. He began his military career in November 1914 as a 17‑year‑old Hussar. After turning to aviation, he proved to be a natural pilot. After flight school and six months in a bomber unit, he joined a newly formed fighter squadron, Jagdstaffel 2 on 21 November 1916. There he became friends with Manfred von Richthofen. Voss, an avid motorcyclist, had a love of machinery that led him to consort with his enlisted mechanics, Karl Timms and Christian Rueser; he was even on a first name basis with them. In time, they would transfer squadrons to accompany him. Voss contravened uniform regulations at times and could often be found in the hangar working on his machine beside the mechanics, dressed in a grubby jacket without insignia.

His care extended to his craft's exterior; he adorned his Albatros D.III with both a swastika and a heart for good luck. And although he was a casual dresser around his home airfield, when flying he would be well-dressed with a silk shirt beneath his aviation gear. He joked that he wanted to be presentable to the girls of Paris if he were captured; however, the shirt's silk collar protected his neck from chafing while he swiveled his head about watching for other aircraft during flight.

Voss scored his first aerial victory on the morning of 26 November 1916, and added a second in his afternoon flight. The two victories brought him the First Class Iron Cross, awarded 19 December 1916. His first victory of 1917, over Captain Daly, inadvertently taught Voss the knack of deflection shooting. Voss later visited Daly in hospital twice. By 6 April 1917, Voss had scored 24 victories and awarded Germany's highest award, the Pour le Mérite. The medal's mandatory month's leave removed Voss from the battlefield during Bloody April; in his absence, Richthofen scored 13 victories. Nevertheless, Richthofen regarded Voss as his only possible rival as top scoring ace of the war.

Voss was slightly wounded on 6 June 1917 by Flight Sub-Lieutenant Christopher Draper, but soon returned to duty. The Royal Naval Air Service credited Draper with an "out of control" victory; after returning to base, Voss had to trade his damaged Albatros D.III for a fresh one. Meanwhile, Voss went on leave with Richthofen to Krefeld; surviving photographs portray them exhibiting their aircraft for the Voss clan. Pater familias Maxmilian Voss, Sr. issued an open invitation for Richthofen's use of the Voss family hunting lodge. After this leave, on 28 June, Voss took acting command of Jagdstaffel 29. Five days later, he was given temporary command of Jagdstaffel 14.

On 30 July, Voss moved to his permanent command of Jagdstaffel 10 in Richthofen's Flying Circus, Jagdgeschwader I (JG I), relieving Ernst Freiherr von Althaus at Richthofen's request. A brand new silvery Pfalz D.III awaited him, but he deemed it inferior to his green Albatros D.V, although he may have scored four victories with the Pfalz. With his mercurial "loner" personality, Voss' was impatient with the paperwork and responsibilities of command. However, Oberleutnant Ernst Weigand managed the squadron's daily administration and relieved Voss of those chores. Voss left his staff car parked, and made his official rounds of his aerodrome on his motorcycle.

In late August 1917, the rotary engine F.I prototype was assigned to Voss as his personal aircraft. In his childhood, Voss had flown Japanese fighting kites with his cousins in Krefeld; the decorations on the kites gave him the inspiration to paint the nose cowling of his triplane with two eyes, eyebrows and a moustache. Though there was a story it was inspired by the Kaisers moustache.

The arrival of the new fighter brought celebrities visiting. On 31 August, Anthony Fokker escorted German Chancellor Georg Michaelis and Major General Ernst von Lossberg to see and film the new triplane. On 9 September, Crown Prince Wilhelm would also visit Jasta 10. By 11 September 1917, Voss had raised his victory total to 47, second only to the Red Baron's 61. In the process, he had his closest call yet in combat. After shooting down six-victory ace Oscar McMaking, he had in turn been attacked by Captain Norman Macmillan. Macmillan dove his Sopwith Camel within six meters (20 feet) of Voss, machine guns spurting tracers that flew near the German's head.

The 45 Squadron ace saw Voss turn his head twice to judge the Camel's position before evading. Then a Royal Aircraft Factory RE.8 blundered across between them, nearly colliding with the Camel and breaking off the attack as Voss dove away. Macmillan claimed an "out of control" victory when he returned to base. The following day, Voss signed himself out on leave on his authority as Staffelführer. His first stop was Berlin, where he was honored receiving an autographed photograph of Kaiser Wilhelm II from the emperor's own hands. From the 15th to the 17th, he was at the Fokker factory in Schwerin; he was accompanied by his girlfriend Ilse. His leave authorization also cleared him for Düsseldorf and his hometown of Krefeld, but it is unknown if he visited them. In any case, he returned to duty on 22 September.

Voss returned from leave on 23 September 1917 not yet fully rested; as fellow pilot Leutnant Alois Heldmann observed: "He had the nervous instability of a cat. I think it would be fair to say he was flying on his nerves." Nevertheless, Voss flew a morning mission and shot down an Airco DH.4 from 57 Squadron at 09:30 hours. Upon his return to his air base with bullet holes in his Fokker, he took advantage of Richthofen's absence at the Voss family hunting lodge to celebrate with a victory loop before landing. In contrast to Voss's usual tidy flying garb, he was wearing striped gray trousers, a dirty gray sweater, and tall lace-up boots. Just before Werner landed, brothers Max and Otto Voss arrived at Jasta 10 for a visit. They were both now in the German military. Otto was a 19-year-old army leutnant bucking for an opportunity to become a flier like his elder brother. Max Jr. was a 16-year-old sergeant.

The young ace was fatigued and told his brothers he was eagerly anticipating more time off. He ate lunch with his brothers—soup, black bread, coffee, and cake. His brothers noted his haggard appearance, apparent in his final photographs. After the meal, the three Voss brothers posed before Werner's camera, which was equipped with a timed shutter release. Then Voss was scheduled for another patrol.

Even as the three Voss brothers were in their photo session, on the other side of the lines, 56 Squadron was mustering for its own afternoon patrols. B Flight was led by Captain James McCudden. In Royal Flying Corps fashion, his Royal Aircraft Factory SE5a serial number B4863 was marked with a large initial G painted upon the side of its fuselage. He would be followed by two other aces: Lieutenant Arthur Rhys-Davids in SE5a number B525, lettered I; Captain Keith Muspratt in SE5a A8944, designated H. Three other pilots were also attached to B Flight for this sortie—Lieutenants V. P. Cronyn in SE5a A4563, as well as R. W. Young, and Charles Jeffs. Also mustering for patrol was C Flight. It was led by Captain Geoffrey Hilton Bowman.

His SE5a was followed by Lieutenant Reginald Hoidge in SE5a B506, lettered J. A third ace, Lieutenant Richard Maybery in SE5a B1 designated K, was also in C Flight. Lieutenants E. A. Taylor and S. J. Gardiner filled out the flight's roster. Both flights of 56 Squadron took off from their side of the trench lines at 17:00 hours. As this flight approached Passchendaele there were elements of at least eight Royal Flying Corps squadrons waging its offensive campaign over the battlefield. German antiaircraft fire was noted as heavy and accurate, as B and C Flights diverged onto separate patrol routes at Houthoulst Forest. As B Flight continued, McCudden swooped on a German DFW and shot it down at 18:00 hours, Rhys-Davids gave it a parting burst as it fell.

There was also considerable enemy air activity in the east, where German jastas waited for "the customers to come into the shop". The overcast compressed air activity into lower levels instead of allowing its usual altitude range to about 6,000 meters (20,000 feet).

On the German side of the lines, Voss had changed clothing. He wore a colourful civilian silk dress shirt beneath his unbuttoned knee-length brown leather coat. His polished brown boots shone from below the coat's hem. His Pour le Mérite was at his throat. He was to lead one of the two scheduled afternoon patrols. Leutnant Gustav Bellen was his right hand wingman; Leutnant Friedrich Rüdenberg had Voss's other side. After takeoff at 18:05 hours, Voss, with his new Fokker Triplane, advanced its throttle and soon outdistanced his two wingmen flying slower Pfalz D.IIIs. A few minutes later, Oberleutnant Ernst Weigand in Albatros D.V number 1187/17 led a second flight skyward; three Pfalz D.IIIs followed him, piloted by Leutnants Erich Löwenhardt, Alois Heldmann, and Max Kuhn. None of the Jasta 10 aircraft would ever catch their Staffelführer.

The dogfight developed over Poelkapelle at about 18:30 hours. The Germans chasing Voss found themselves stalemated by British Sopwith Camels, as well as some SPADs and Bristol F.2 Fighters patrolling under the overcast. Two flights of the elite 56 Squadron formed a lower layer of British patrols at 1,800 meters (6,000 feet) altitude. Below that, Lieutenant Harold A. Hamersley, flying as a rear guard to his squadronmates in 60 Squadron, had a wary eye on a nearby enemy formation of 20 to 25 German aircraft. At about 18:25 hours, he turned to help what he believed to be a Nieuport threatened by a German Albatros, firing a short burst of machine-gun fire to distract the German. The "Nieuport", was Voss's misidentified Fokker Triplane, rounded on Hamersley and raked him with Spandau fire. Hamersley flung his SE.5a into a spin that went inverted, with Voss continuing to fire, holing his wings and engine cowling. Lieutenant Robert L. Chidlaw-Roberts, a squadronmate of Hamersley, rushed to his aid. Within seconds, Voss shredded Chidlaw-Roberts's rudder bar, also driving him out of the fray into a forced landing.

While they fell away seriously shot about, the rest of 60 Squadron exited the scene, Voss was engaged by B Flight, 56 Squadron, in their SE.5as. McCudden's upgraded & re-tuned SE.5a. made it much faster than the Fokker Triplane. McCudden and his wingmen attacked in pairs from 300 meters (1,000 feet) above Voss. In a pincer movement, McCudden hooked into an assault from the right while his wingman, Lieutenant Arthur Rhys Davids, swooped in from the left. Muspratt trailed them down, while Cronyn brought up the rear. Jeffs and Young held high as top cover in case Voss climbed. He was now boxed in from above and below, with assailants pouncing from either side. To further worsen Voss's situation, there was a British fighter patrol beneath him.

To the attackers' surprise, Voss did not try to escape the aerial trap. Instead, he flicked his triplane about in a flat spin and fired at his attackers in a head on firing pass, holing McCudden's wings. Voss riddled Cronyn's SE.5 from close range, putting him out of the dogfight. Cronyn had to turn in under his attacker and throw his aircraft into a spin to escape being killed. His wingmates attacked Voss while Cronyn also limped for home. At this time, C Flight arrived. As it dipped down through the overcast toward the dogfight, Gardiner and Taylor went astray. Maybery was attacked by a green Pfalz D.III. Hoidge's counterattack foiled the German. Bowman and Maybery remained to join the attack on Voss. Hoidge, having broken off his pursuit of the falling Pfalz, changed the drum magazine in his Lewis gun, and climbed to join battle.

Voss in his triplane zigzagged, yawed, and bobbed among his enemies, never holding a straight course for more than seconds, evading British fire and spewing bullets at them all. The combat now became so chaotic that the surviving pilots later gave widely varying accounts. However, certain events were commonly related: Muspratt's engine lost its coolant to a Spandau bullet early on; he glided away with his engine beginning to seize. At some point, a red nosed Albatros D.V made a short-lived attempt to help Voss; Rhys-Davids put a bullet through its engine, and it dropped away. At another point, Voss was caught in a crossfire by at least five of his attackers but seemed unhurt. At about this point, Maybery withdrew with his aircraft's upper right-hand longeron holed in several places.Voss and the six remaining British aces swirled down to 600 meters (2,000 feet). At times, Voss had the altitude advantage over his foes, but did not try to escape the fight. Using the triplane's superior rate of climb and its ability to slip turn, Voss managed to evade his opponents and return to battle. He continued to flick turn at high speeds and attack those behind him. As Bowman later noted concerning his only shot at Voss: "'To my amazement he kicked on full rudder, without bank, pulled his nose up slightly, gave me a burst while he was skidding sideways and then kicked on opposite rudder before the results of this amazing stunt appeared to have any effect on the controllability of his machine." Bowman's machine was left slowed and ineffectively trailing dark smoke and steam, though he stayed in the fight.

Then, after flying past McCudden in a head-on firing pass, Voss's Fokker was hit with bullets on the starboard side by Hoidge. Meantime, Rhys Davids had pulled aside to change an ammunition drum; he rejoined combat with a 150 meter (500 foot) height advantage over Voss's altitude of 450 meters (1,500 feet), and began a long flat dive onto the tail of Voss' triplane. At point-blank range, he holed the German aircraft end to end with his machine guns before turning.

It wandered into his line of flight again, in a gentle westward glide; Rhys Davids again ripped the German plane as its engine quit. The aircraft missed a mid-air collision by inches. The British ace fired again. As the triplane's glide steepened, Rhys Davids overran him at about 300 meters (1,000 feet) altitude and lost sight of his opponent. From above, Bowman saw the Fokker in what could have been a landing glide, right up until it stalled. It then flipped inverted and nose down, dropping directly to earth. The resulting smash left only the rudder intact.

McCudden, watching from 900 meters (3,000 feet), recalled: "I saw him go into a fairly steep dive and so I continued to watch, and then saw the triplane hit the ground and disappear into a thousand fragments, for it seemed to me that it literally went into powder." There would be debate later whether Voss dropped out of the inverted triplane.

Voss had fought the British aces for at least eight minutes, eluding them, Voss managed to hit every SE5 in B Flight. Some of the planes received extensive damage and were virtual write offs needing to sent to the rear due to the extent of damage. He crashed near Plum Farm north of Frezenberg in Belgium at about 18:40 hours. The following day, 24 September 1917, a British patrol reached the crash site. Documents in Voss' pocket identified him. A military doctor cursorily examined the corpse. He noted three bullet wounds. One ranged slightly upward through the chest cavity from right to left, consistent with Hoidge's angle of fire; it would have killed Voss in less than a minute. The other two gunshot wounds pierced Voss's abdomen from rear to front, coinciding with Rhys-Davids's firing angle. Werner Voss was buried like any other dead soldier near Plum Farm, laid in a shell crater without coffin or honors. His grave's location was recorded as Map Sheet 28, coordinates 24.C.8.3.

The field grave would subsequently be lost trace of, through the turmoil of ongoing ground fighting. His decorations are not mentioned but the taking of medals, buttons, insignia from the dead was common on both sides. They would fetch a nice price in trade goods at the front. Chances are they are in the mud in some collapsed bunker close by. Losses to the ground troops were high. A Blue Max is something that a collector would show off if it was in a collection today. The wreckage was found, upside down in the British lines. 2/Lt. Barfoot-Saunt observed on 27 October 1917, that the upper and middle wings, could not be salvaged as they were just too badly damaged in his intelligence report. His report also mentions that the wreckage had remained out in the open, exposed to the elements and shellfire for more than a month before a detailed inspection of the craft could be carried out.

Incident ReportLieut Barfoot-SauntWing Intelligence, Area HQSubject: Fokker Triplane which was shot down by a flight of SE5s. Total wreck. Number 103/17.Date: September 1917 Details

Little of this machine is intact to enable a fully detailed description at this time but the following points are worthy of note. The machine is one of the new Triplane "Scouts" which have been reported active in the Sector during the past four weeks. The fuselage is of alloy tubing covered with fabric whilst the wings are of wood fabric covered. The Le Rhône engine is covered with a cowling or rather partly covered as the cowl is not a full one, possibly to assist cooling as are the two holes in the front/top of same.

The machine features a new attempt by the enemy at camouflage The entire upper and sides surfaces are doped in various shades of green blue and grey which takes the form of streaks applied at various angles: vertical on the fuselage and slanted on the tail. The upper and second wing has not been salved but the streaks on the bottom wing are just off the vertical slanting slightly to the left. Lower surfaces are a greyish blue. Upper surface dope is of poor quality but the fabric is good.

Area Intelligence Officer

Reading this last report of the field doctor it might seem Reginald Hoidge delivered the fatal shot as the triplane was not taking the previous violent evasive maneuvers afterwards . Arthur Rhys-David is credited with the victory but he may have been raking an already deal pilot with his guns, he had already done this once earlier in the day with McCudden's DFW.

The Participants

Name.....................................Victories at time of engagement..............Total Victories

Some books on the subject . Norman Franks books are typically well researched.

Still enduring is the debate as to why Voss chose to fight on against clearly almost impossible odds rather than disengage from the action. However, it is possible that he wanted to close the kill gap between himself and the Red Baron, by shooting down some British aircraft, so he stayed on. Although Voss's apparent refusal to retreat is not mentioned in the contemporary English combat reports, nor in McCudden's autobiography written in June and July 1918, McCudden is credited with the observation that Voss seemingly rejected several opportunities to disengage and withdraw from the tactically grave situation in which he found himself. After he fell in solo opposition to eight British aces, he was described by his preeminent foe, James McCudden, as "the bravest German airman". The dogfight remains a subject of debate and controversy among combat aviation historians

______________________________________________________If you score a victory but lose your wingman, you lost the battle.

WOW! Which is more impressive - the model or the post? Both are truly enjoyable.

I long have regretted not buying any of the Carousel 1 WWI models. Finally last year, Aikens had a super sale and I was able to get a Nieuport "Bebe" for an affordable price. I'd still love to get one of their Dr.1 models, but at this stage of my collecting and what it would cost me, a nice plastic kit that I build to my liking serves me just as well.

I love the background story about Voss Ken. There's a lot there I never knew. Great job with an interesting and informative thread.